 Internet
Shopping Security and You
Just as shoppers should
take measures to protect
themselves in brick-and-mortar
stores—such as protecting
their PIN numbers when checking
out and not leaving purses
unattended—online shoppers
also need to take sensible
precautions. This guide
offers advice on how to
make your online shopping
experiences enjoyable and
safe.
What is Internet
Security?
Internet security is a broad
term that refers to the
various steps individuals
and companies take to protect
computers or computer networks
that are connected to the
Internet. One of the basic
truths behind Internet security
is that the Internet itself
is not a secure environment.
The Internet was originally
conceived as an open, loosely
linked computer network
that would facilitate the
free exchange of ideas and
information. Data sent over
the Internet—from personal
e-mail messages to online
shopping orders—travel through
an ever-changing series
of computers and network
links. As a result, unscrupulous
hackers and scam artists
have ample opportunities
to intercept and change
the information. It would
be virtually impossible
to secure every computer
connected to the Internet
around the world, so there
will likely always be weak
links in the chain of data
exchange.
SSL Encryption
It's easy to tell
when the web site you are
viewing is using an encrypted
connection. If the connection
is encrypted, the lock icon
in the lower-right corner
of the Browser/Navigator
window is locked. If the
connection is not encrypted,
the lock icon is unlocked.
You can also look at the
browser URL Address line
and check that the URL starts
with https: (as opposed
to the normal http: (note
the "s" at the end indicating
"Secure"), for example https://www.PippinBass.com
vs. http://www.PippinBass.com)
Independent Third
Party Online Security Certification
Trusted by organizations
throughout the world, SecureTrust
256-bit SSL certificates
provide the highest level
of security and quality
available in industry. Please
roll your mouse over the
Secure Site Seal below to
see the Site Security Certificate.
Secure Sockets Layer, or
SSL (pronounced as separate
letters), is a protocol
which is used to communicate
over the Internet in a secure
fashion.
The SecureTrust certificate
image shot below is the
sample screen you will see
with the validity certificate
from one of the Internet
Security Leaders. Organizations
who seek the highest level
of security for all of their
online communication and
transactional needs rely
on SecureTrust SSL Certificates.
As the first Certificate
Authority to offer 256-Bit
SSL Certificates, SecureTrust
continues to be an industry
leader in the market
Your personal data is fully
encrypted to protect you
from unwanted use of the
personal information. We
do NOT store your credit
card information. You will
need to provide your payment
details each time you will
process the order although
you can retrieve your personal
details such as name and
shipping addresses as well
as billing address when
you return to the store.
Shop Only at Secure
Websites
How can you tell if a web
site is secure? It uses
encryption technology to
transfer information from
your computer to the online
merchant's computer. Encryption
scrambles the information
you send, such as your credit
card number, in order to
prevent computer hackers
from obtaining it en route.
The only people who can
unscramble the code are
those with legitimate access
privileges. You can tell
when you are dealing with
a secure web site in several
ways.
Of course, transmitting
your data over secure channels
is of little value to you
if the merchant stores the
data unscrambled. You should
try to find out if the merchant
stores the data in encrypted
form. If a hacker is able
to intrude, it cannot obtain
your credit data and other
personal information. Be
sure to read the merchant's
privacy and security policies
to learn how it safeguards
your personal data on its
computers.
Read the Web Site's
Privacy and Security Policies
Every reputable e-commerce
web site offers information
about how it processes your
order. It is usually listed
in the section entitled
“Privacy Policy." You can
find out if the merchant
intends to share your information
with a third party or affiliate
company. Do they require
these companies to refrain
from marketing to their
customers? If not, you can
expect to receive “spam"
(unsolicited e-mail) and
even mail or phone solicitations
from these companies.
You can also learn what
type of information is gathered
by the web site, and how
it is — or is not — shared
with others. The online
merchant’s data security
practices are also often
explained in the Privacy
Policy, or perhaps a separate
Security Policy.
Given all of these uncertainties,
you will want to think about
the sensitivity of the data
that is being compiled about
you when you shop online.
We cannot prescribe the
best approach to take. Each
consumer has a different
interpretation of what is
considered “sensitive."
The Pippin Bass
Privacy Promise
Customer’s trust is our
most important asset. At
Pippin Bass, we respect
your privacy and are committed
to protecting it. Our policy
is to ensure that your information
is secure and you feel secure
as well about shopping at
Pippin Bass. When you submit
personal information, it
is protected both online
and off-line. Whether you
purchase a product, send
a gift, or request our newsletters,
you do so under up-to-date
encryption/security policies
and technological safeguards.
All personal information
is collected pursuant to
these standards and is secured
in databases for the sole
and exclusive use of Pippin
Bass. Only those who need
the information to perform
a specific job (such as
our billing clerks or customer
service representatives)
are granted access to personal
information.
Don't Open Suspicious
e-Mails
Don’t click on any link
embedded within a potentially
suspicious email. Instead,
start a new Internet session
from the beginning by typing
in the link’s URL into the
address bar and pressing
“Enter" to be sure you’re
directed to a legitimate
web site.
Identity thieves send massive
numbers of emails to Internet
users that ask them to update
the account information
for their banks, credit
cards, online payment service,
or popular shopping sites.
The email may state that
your account information
has expired, been compromised
or lost and that you need
to immediately resend it
to the company.
Consider Using Single
Use Credit Card for Online
Shopping
Consumers using some brands
of credit cards can get
“virtual credit cards,"
or single-use card numbers,
that can be used at an online
store. The randomly generated
substitute 16-digit number
can also be used to buy
goods and services over
the phone and through the
mail but can’t be used for
in-store purchases that
require a traditional plastic
card. With this free service,
you never need to give out
your real credit card number
online. Among the card companies
offering it are Citibank
and the Discover card.
Never Give Out Your
Social Security Number
Providing your Social Security
number is not a requirement
for placing an order at
an e-commerce web site.
There is no need for the
merchant to ask for it.
Giving out your Social Security
number could lead to having
your identity stolen. (See
PRC Fact Sheet 17,
"Coping with Identity Theft,"
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